Politics & Government

'We Need to do More About Our Infrastructure,' Mayor Says

Mayor Mike Bodker delivers his State of the City address to sold-out audience.

As far as its budget goes, Johns Creek is "holding steady" financially, Mayor Mike Bodker told some 200 folks attending his State of the City address at the Atlanta Athletic Club on Friday.

But, "if we don't work on economic development in this city, we're going to be in trouble," Bodker later added.

He pointed to "Johns Creek Advantage," an economic development plan by the Johns Creek Chamber of Commerce and the Johns Creek Economic Development Corporation. He urged business to support the program, which has a goal of hiring staff to promote the city, and would work to attract new businesses while providing services to existing business in the city.

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Bodker said the city's tax digest is too unbalanced, at 79 percent residential and 21 percent commercial. "The balance needs to move toward commercial," Bodker said, which is where programs like Johns Creek Advantage would help.

Bodker also said the city could attract more businesses if the state legislature approves recommendations made by the 2012 Charter Commission to change wording in the document that currently prevents the city from letting citizens vote on bond projects. "So that businesses looking to Johns Creek for relocation will see that we have the will to hold down the millage while having the long-term flexibility to maintain our infrastructure," he said, pointing to the $38 million in road resurfacing needs that the city can't afford right now.

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But, Bodker was able to commend the public works department, as he said this year residents will start to see the culmination of park and road projects that the department has put together with a thrifty combination of local, state and federal funds.

"Public works is one of the first things that tells you when you've crossed the river, you've arrived," Bodker said.

The State of the City breakfast event was hosted by the Johns Creek Business Association and the Johns Chamber of Commerce and was sponsored by Emory Johns Creek Hospital.

See the PDF accompanying this article for the full text of the mayor's address.


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